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tv   BBC World News  PBS  March 9, 2011 6:00pm-6:30pm EST

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>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of compaes.
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what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> horrir in a libyan jail. -- horror in a libyan jail. they witness firsthand the events of torture on the other captives. >> most of them have handcuffs really tightly and broken ribs. they are in agony. >> libyan state tv claims gaddafi's troops have reclaimed the western city. violence escalates in the ivory coast. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, the oil boom in ghana. what it means for one sleepy
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coastal town. good and bad. chefs turn to the net to sell home cooked meals to people on line. >> our team in libya has been subject to beatings andy ma executions -- executions. they had left eight country. while they were in prison they witnessed firsthand the horrifying levels of violence carried out by colonel gaddafi's security forces. the bbc team was arrested at a checkpoint where some of the fiercest fighting was taking place. they spoke to our middle east editor after they were leery -- after they were released. >> 30 miles and many checkpoints
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separate these towns. the town has been sealed off. tonight, de gaddafi -- the gaddafi forces seem close to victory but we cannot confirm that. the bbc has attempted several times to get through to the area without official permission. when a team from bbc tried on monday, they were stopped and detained for 21 hours. our correspondent on the right was badly beaten. he saw prisoners in a much worse state than they were. >> i cannot describe how bad it was. most of them were handcuffed tightly and had swollen hands and broken ribs. they were in agony. they were screaming. >> [unintelligible]
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two of them egyptians. the majority of them [unintelligible] they are accused of fighting against gaddafi's army. four of them were in a very bad situation. >> they had been tortured? >> sure. >> from a second-floor i heard once of screaming. i cannot describe. it was the worst thing i have ever seen in my life and i have seen a lot of bad stuff. >> someone told me he had at least two ribs broken. i tried to [unintelligible] to move to another area. they were in a bad situation.
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>> the detainees were accused of spying and had their lives threatened and were put through a mock executions. >> we what -- when we were in this detention center as soon as i got out of the car one of the guards [unintelligible] i dropped to the ground and then they put my hands behind my head. then i saw this machine. i see it is just behind me. at this moment i thought it was minutes and they would shoot me. >> [unintelligible] he was in agony and suffering. suddenly the cage door opened and this guy entered the door
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and put food there and handcuffed us. they pushed me. i thought this is a definition moment for me. >> if they decide to do this i cannot do anything. i just closed my eyes and ask for god to save me. >> they started shouting go, go. i thought there are going to shoot us from behind. i was thinking this is the end. >> libyan tv has been showing old army parades'. other officials said their experience was not right but libyans believe spies are coming.
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>> on the battlefront libyan forces loyal to gaddafi have been pounding towns held by rebels east and west of tripoli. the most intense fighting has been for control of one city where there were 40 deaths. it is effectively in the hands of government forces. in the eastern part [unintelligible] our middle east correspondent has this report. >> once again, libyan state tv is claiming success in the battle of one town rest of tripoli. they produced little evidence except these sketchy pictures. the international media is being prevented from going. this soldier state -- told state tv the town was 95% secured. we have some rats in the alleyways but we are getting
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them group by group. residents contacted on the phone have talked of a monumental -- >> what my brother told me was there were 50 tanks and 150 cars filled with armed military bombarding this city. >> in an interview with turkish television, the leader challenged the momentum about imposing a no-fly zone. a un resolution is being drafted by britain and france. colonel gaddafi said the libyan people would take up arms against any western powers. it is the sound of women and children who leave the the demonstration. the opposition have always stressed this is a libyan revolution but they do one more
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international help against gaddafi's air power and to contract foreign mercenaries brought in. >> it is almost 15 days. we are still waiting for them to give us help for how long? what is the purpose of not stopping the war? what do they want more? to get more victims? >> there are increasingly strong calls for what they see as a legitimate struggle. this afternoon the front line began to move rapidly as rebels broke out towards another town. with the captured heavy weapons, they were able to regain the initiative. but just as quickly government forces counterattacked and the rebels retreated back.
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at the same time there was a huge explosion at the major oil installation. both sides are blaming each other. it is a very fluid situation. >> it is easy to forget another bloody struggle for power play down on the african continent in ivory coast. there are warnings of a looming civil war as the leader refuses to hand over power at -- to the man recognize as winning the november elections. our correspondent sent this. >> it has become more like a nightmare than a city. this is the area carved up by rival militias. terrifying roadblocks. this is what can happen if your luck runs out here. beneath the burning tires, two men, their deaths before tip --
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formulated by it website. sources told us it is genuine. occasionally public outrage over come sphere. these women support the mandi world says won the november elections. groups of women gathering like this calling for peace at a time when ivory coast seems to be slipping closer towards a civil war. >> we are unarmed. our only demand is democracy even if it means our blood must be spilled. she is referring to this, a similar demonstration last week which ended badly. forces loyal to the man who lost
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the presidency have been firing into the crowd. seven women were killed. to reach the country's international recognized government you have to fly across the front lines of a once prosperous city and into a hotel. ministers are protected by the un and backed by the west but they know the former president will not step down without a fight. >> we are afraid of a detective losing the power and ready to burn out everything before he leaves. that is our main fear. >> it is starting already. in the city center we are caught in another fire. it is a skirmish, but the momentum is building fast towards a violent end game.
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>> the un has calculated the number of civilians killed in the war in afghanistan has increased for the second year in a row. more than 2700 civilians were killed in 2010. that is up 15%. they blame the taliban and other insurgents for the deaths. the defense lawyer for the former president of liberia charles taylor argued his trial is driven by politics. charles taylor was in court today and denies 11 charges relating to the civil war in the 1990's. in egypt, clashes between muslims and christians have left 13 people dead and 140 wounded. violence broke out when christians blocked a highway and protested the burning of a church.
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stay with us on "bbc world news.' a car in -- cartoon strips criticism in china has caused problems. chinese authorities are not amused. a new government is taking power in ireland today. the opposition leader is the new prime minister. the coalition is a product of a wave of public anger against the natural party of power. they had to negotiate a eu bailout. >> ireland's new political era began with a church service and prayers for politicians. the country's next prime minister will need all the help he can get as he tries to fix ireland's broken economy.
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after church it was on to the irish parliament. to confirm his position as head of ireland's new government. some people think you are about to get a worse job in europe. >> on the other hand it can be the most exciting and challenging job. this is a challenge for our country. people voted for a stable government. we will give them that. >> there are 76 new faces in the irish parliament. that is almost half of the total. among the newcomers is the leader jerry adams. he is trying to get rid of the irish border. >> there will be a day when all of the people of this island will be represented in the all ireland under a step in sound.
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>> but all eyes are on the next prime minister today. he has promised the irish people a new prosperous ireland. now they expect him to deliver it. >> this is "bbc world news." our bbc team has just been released from a libyan jail. they witnessed firsthand the offense of torture on the other captives. colonel gaddafi's troops have reclaimed the city. over in the east anti-government for -- protests are still holding on to several key towns. our correspondent has been out and about asking citizens what they think of the council. >> the cafe has been around
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since the 1940's. it serves a very strong cup of coffee -- strong cup of coffee. i have come here to find out what people think about the national council. what about you? do you think the national council has its priorities clear? what are they? >> it is very important for the international community to go for the no-fly zone over libya. after 42 years we need freedom. we have to be speaking -- able to speak and do our liberation in terms of media. there have been several newspapers long ago. now we have only one newspaper bringing the news of the day. >> is the national council listen to public opinion? >> the current council is
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listening to the libyan streets. this is legitimate. you have to remember all the dictators and how they ended. all of them come to an end. this will come to an end with the aid of the people and counsel. >> this man is pretty famous in libya because he is a well known source reporter. a lot of people share his opinion. they say his top priority is to get the community to agree to a no-fly sound. they do feel they have access to the international council. people say these are ordinary libyans or listening to public opinion. -- who are listening to public opinion. >>ghana has started pumping its
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first commercial oil. it is the largest offshore discovery in africa in the past decade. at the center of this new industry is the once sleepy port. oil fever is now starting to transform the city. >> these men fish in the same way their fathers and grandfathers did. but over the horizon, and they cannot see is bringing change. >> we know there is a lot of oil out there, but no one has told us how much. we don't know yet what it will mean for us. >> but here in the closest port, people already calling this the oil city. it is the hub for a brand-new
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industry. some local businesses are starting to thrive. many companies are making equipment for the oil companies. >> i think it is a god-given opportunity to come out of poverty and unemployment. those guys on the oil rig will eat, drinkwater, and will be transported and will sleep in hotels. >> that is something the city badly needs. these trains have not moved in years. the sleeping cars are home to squatters. after the trains stopped coming, many businesses ground to a halt. now the city is growing again. oil fever is attracting a surge of new migrants. the oil boom has given birth to a building boom.
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this gives you an idea of how fast the area has been changing. behind me you can see this is a bush, but behind here you can see the city is steadily expanding. there is a competition to buy land and rent it out. >> as land values spiral, some are being left behind. this woman is a primary school teacher. she was told her rent would double. she came home to find an eviction notice posted on her door. >> [unintelligible] >> why are you being evicted? is it because you are behind on the rent? >> no, because he knows definitely i cannot get money. >> the fear is that the poorest will miss out on the oil boom. the government is directing $1
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billion of revenue every year. the challenge is how to make sure those living closest to the oil get their fair share. >> in china one group of animators decided to mark a year of the rabbit with a cartoon predicting a bunny revolt against tigers. this criticism became an internet hit but the revenge of the rabbit was short-lived. protests china-style. years of experience in testing the balance between oppression and freedom. but perhaps it had not allow for the cyberspace cartoon, an internet hit that gives descent a whole new image. no great doctrine in this small graphics company, just the character of a rabbit who gets angry about unfairness. >> i did not think much when i created a cartoon.
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i was in a bad mood then. i read about things in news reports and it bothered me. i needed to let it out. >> the cartoon cents a helpless rabbet against an army of tigress amid real-life stories from the news. an elderly man did set himself on fire to save his home from demolition and a villager was crushed by a truck clearing land. the backdrop is china, the economic powerhouse. prices are rising and money is short. the biggest problem is the unfair in come. the widening gap between rich and poor. then comes the corruption of the officials. the ordinary people are easy to please but we are angry. >> people will be happy as long as their basic needs are met and they can live a comfortable
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life. we are worried we cannot buy a house or a car. >> these types of scenes are, -- common in china. the government is arguing -- many are doing this could not be enough to curb dissent. >> some people say as long as china's economy develops, shall conflicts will be resolved. it has just gotten worse. the political demands have grown. >> which is why the rabbit has hit the such a nerve. he turns against the tigers and devours them. the land is now blocked. -- the link is blocked. >> the french have dreamed up a new way to provide social networking and top-quality cuisine. this new web site puts ambitious
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chefs in touch with their neighbors. >> i am cooking a typical dish. >> david is a member of a fast- growing community. three times a week he prepares dishes she sells to people in his neighborhood. >> i can prepare a disch for many people and we can share recipes and tips. >> the trade does not make him much money but the aim is to build local links and get out the good food message. the system works because it is simple. on the web site chefs post what they are preparing and when. then hungry customers go online to find out what is cooking. it is the brainchild of an entrepreneur who got the idea one night walking home to an empty refrigerator.
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>> on the meals which were being prepared by people just around me -- i just could not [unintelligible] to be able to get this meal as it cooks. >> the food collected and paid for, it is time for dinner. here we are a sampling david's cambodian rice. after this we have something prepared by another member of the community. all fantastic in the home cook food. no one has lifted a finger in the kitchen. it is social networking with a culinary twist. >> just briefly coming libyan state tv has shown gaddafi supporters celebrating after days of fierce fighting. a bbc team just released from a
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libyan jail has described the beatings they faced. they witnessed firsthand the effects of torture and other captives. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank.
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>> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles. presented by kcet los angeles.
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